Machine foe assorting peanuts



1 LIJ e h S 8 b e e h S 2 E M Y S J 0 (No Modal.)

MACHINE FOR ASSORTING PEANUTS, &c.

Patented Mar. 31

mam mam 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model).

0. J. SYME.

MACHINE FOR ASSORTING PEANUTS, aw. No. 314,749.

Patented Mar. 81,1885.

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S E N T m struction and combination of parts, as herein- Nrrn STATES I new Ut rine;

CHAPMAN J. SYME, OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA.

MACHINE FOR ASSORTING PEANUTS, aw.

EJPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,7d9, dated March 31, 1885.

Application filed June 2, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAPMAN J. SYME, a citizen of the United States, residing at Petersburg, in the county of Dinwiddie and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Assorting ,Peanuts, &c., of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to machines for assorting peanutsand thelike; and it has for its object to provide mechanism for this purpose which will be simple in construction, and by means of which the worthless nuts may be separated from the good ones and deposited in chutes to be conveyed away as desired, the good nuts being carried around and emptying into a suitable receptacle, as hereinafter explained.

Heretofore in assorting peanuts it has been customary to employ a revolvingtable running from a suitable spindle, the pickers being arranged around the table. In this construction the pickers, who are either girls or boys, become dizzy and sick by the constant whirling or revolving of the entire table, and for this reason it has been found objectionable. Furthermore, only one set of pickers can be arranged around the table, so that the picking can be performed onlyfrom one side of the table. I overcome these objections by providing a table with a revolving bottom, ledges or rims being formed around the bottom on the inner and outer sides of the table for the pick ers to lean or rest on, and a circular space being provided in the center of thetable to receive a suitable number of pickers, so that the nuts can be picked or assorted from both the inner and outer sides of the revolving bottom.

With these and other objects in view the said invention consists in certain details of conafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view of my improved assorting-table,showing a portion of the fancylinder which connects with the cleaning apparatus and delivers the cleaned material upon the table. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the table. Fig. 3 is a side view, and'Fig. 4. is a longitudinal section of the same on the line as m, Fig. 3.

Like letters refer to corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the fan-cylinder,of ordinary construction,communicating at its upper end with the cleaner, and provided with a chute, B, arranged to deliver the cleaned material directly on the revolving bottom 0 of a table, D. Said table comprises inner and outer circular rims or ledges, E F, connected at the bottom by strips G G, a circular space, H, beinginclosed by the inner rim or ledge, E, and arranged to receive a suitable number of pickers. The revolving bottom 0 is circular in form and fits the spacebetween the rims or ledges E F, the strips G having means for supporting the table and allowing the free rotation of the same. A circumferential series of teeth, a, are formed on the under side of the bottom 0, with which a gearwheel, I, engages to turn the revolving bottom, said gear-wheel being mounted on ashaft, J, attached to the table. Four or more rollers, A are journaled in castings fastened to the legs of the table, and work on sinoothfianges B formed integral with the teeth aand around the inner periphery of the same. Rollers G 'O are also secured to the strips G and work against the underside of the table, and in this manner the movement of the bottom causes the rollers to turn thereon and thetable-bottom to work freely and steadily. The outer end of the shaft J is provided with a pulley, K, around which is passed a band, L, connecting withanother pulley, M on a horizontal shaft, N,which is mounted in the supporting-frame of the table, the other end of the shaft Nhaving a bandpulley or gear-wheel connecting with any suitable power. It will be seen that the rotation of the shaft N efiects, by means of the intervening mechanism, the rotation of the bottom upon which the peanuts are delivered,the pickers, usually boys or girls, being arranged around the table and in the inclosed space H, to pick the worthless nuts and broken shells and other refuse matter from the bottom and deposit the same in chutesO O, secured to the rims E F at intervals around the same, the chutes- O of the rim E connecting with the chutes O of the rim F, the said chutes O curving downward and delivering the refuse mat- ICO- ter upon the apron P of a carrier, Q, the latter being driven by theshaft N,which connects with one end of the carrier. A bag, basket,

or other receptacle may be arranged at the discharge end B of the carrier to receive the refuse material. The carrier is mounted on the supporting-frame of the table, and may be constru cted in any suitable manner to perform the functionsstated. A bar, S, extends across and connects the inner and outer rims, E F, and

- V, or other receptacle held there for that purpose.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the annexed drawings. The peanuts are delivered by the chute of the fan-cylinder upon the bottom of the table, or the nuts may be assorted by simply depositing the same from bags or baskets. As the bottom revolves, the pickers pick the worthless nuts and shells and deposit the same in the chutes O 0, leading to the carrier, which conveys the same to a suitable receptacle,while the good nuts are left on the bottom, and are carried around to the starting-point, and when they reach the barS they are deflected into the passage or opening T, and pass through the chute U into the bag or other receptacle V. As the bags become full, they can be tied up and replaced by empty ones,while the nuts which are carried off bythe carrier may be again assorted for the purpose of obtaining the best of the lot.

By means of the mechanism shown and described the pickers will not become dizzy while at work, since by reason of the slow speed of the revolving bottom,which does not turn bodily, like'the ordinary revolving table, and the inner and outer rims, E F, for the pickers to lean on, the latter will be afforded needed rest.

Having'described my invention, I claim- 1. The herein-described assorting-table, comprising inner and outer circular rims, connecting-strips, and a bottom turning loosely over the strips and revolving in the space between the rims, theinner rim inclosing a spaceto receive a suitable number of pickers, as set forth.

and disposed below the bottom, for the purpose set forth.

4. The herein described assorting table,.

comprising inner and outer rims or ledges, and a revolvingbottom moving in the spacebetween the rims or ledges, the inner rim inclosing a space to receive a suitable number of pickers, as set forth.

5. The herein described assortingtable, comprising inner and outer rims or ledges, a revolving bottom moving in-thespace between the same, a cross-bar connecting the rims at the top, and a passage or opening formed in the outer rim, arranged and operating as described, so that the cross-bar will deflect the nuts through the passage or opening into a bag or other receptacle, as set forth.

6. The herein described assorting table, comprising inner and outer rims, a bottom revolving in the space between the rims, means, substantially as described, for operating the bottom, and chutes secured to the rims, as set forth.

7. The herein described assorting table, comprising inner and outer rims or ledges, a revolving bottom moving in the space between the same, chutes secured to the rim, and a traveling carrier,with which the chutes communicate, as set forth.

8. The herein described assortingtable, comprising inner and outer rims or ledges, a bottom revolving in the space between the rims, means for operating the bottom, a chute communicating-with the bottom, and means, substantially as described, for causing the peanuts retained on the bottom to enter the'chute, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own Ihave hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHAPMAN J. sYME. Witnesses:

J. B. EVANS, J. A. JORDAN.

too

It is hereby certified that Letters Patent N 0. 314,749, granted March 51, 1885, upon the application of Chapman J. Synne, of Petersburg Virginia, for an improvement in Machines for Assorting Peanuts, 8w, should have been issued to the said Chapman J. Syme and Robert 0. Marks, assignee of one-half interest in said invention; that the proper correction has been made in the files and records pertaining to the case in the Patent Office, and should be read in said Letters Patent to make it conform thereto.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 14th day of April, A. D. 1885.

[SEAL] H. L. MULDRO'W,

Acting Secretary of the Interior- Oountersigned:

M. V. MONTGOMERY,

Commissioner of Patents. 

